Casperson Trying to Return to Lansing
A former U.P. state representative, term-limited out of office last year, is trying to return to Lansing.
Republican Tom Casperson of Escanaba says he’s running for the Michigan Senate.
Casperson traveled around the U.P. to kick off the campaign today.
He made stops in Escanaba, Iron Mountain, Houghton and Marquette.
Casperson says no matter who wins each individual race for state House and Senate seats, freshman lawmakers will make up more than half the legislature after this fall.
He says if he’s elected, he’ll work hard with other freshmen to change how the state operates, believing Michigan doesn’t do anywhere near enough to promote job creation through small businesses.
This may be a somewhat more manageable campaign for Casperson than his last one.
In 2008, he got the Republican nomination for Congress, opposing Bart Stupak.
Stupak won the general election easily.
Still, Casperson says he’s glad he did that, since preparing for a race that covered more than 30 counties like that one did was a pretty good warm-up for this one, which covers 13.
Democrat Mike Prusi of Ishpeming holds the 38th District state Senate seat at the moment.
But he’ll be term-limited out of office in January.
The 38th District covers all of the U.P. except for Chippewa and Mackinac counties.